IPL Nights sponsors in the dark

NEW DELHI: With the new IPL chief Chirayu Amin scrapping the post-match parties IPL Nights, the sponsorship deals associated with the property—mainly title sponsor Karbonn Mobiles—is under a cloud.

Early last month, mobile handset maker Karbonn Mobiles and the IPL had announced that the former had inked 'long-term' sponsorship deals for a host of IPL properties, even though the exact duration of the deals is not known. This included, mainly, Karbonn associating with the IPL as 'official partner and title sponsor' for IPL Nights. In addition, Karbonn had entered into a deal with the IPL to advertise even during overs and on-ground advertising. "With IPL Nights being scrapped, the title sponsorship deal obviously stands nullified. Further, this may impact Karbonn's other IPL associations such as airing ads within overs," an official close to the deal said.

Karbonn did not respond to an email query by ET.

It is also being speculated that the deal to advertise even during overs (between balls) was not done by IPL's broadcast rights holder Multi Screen Media (MSM, earlier Sony) but a third party close to IPL's now suspended commissioner Lalit Modi. The details of the same could not be verified and MSM officials were not available for comment.

Though the deal size between Karbonn and IPL could not be ascertained, both had announced that the deal was one of the largest sponsorships signed by an Indian mobile phone brand.

Mr Modi is learnt to have awarded the contract to hold the IPL Nights to a company owned by Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal without the knowledge of the BCCI.